Inertia, a South Korean femtech company founded by female scientists from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), is making its first international market entry with Prism Pads – disposable period pads that replace the synthetic superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) found in most pads, including those marketed as organic, with a patented plant-derived alternative.
The core innovation is LABOCELL, a cellulose-based absorbent matrix designed to manage menstrual flow while remaining lightweight and breathable. Most “organic” pads on the market use organic cotton on the surface layer but still rely on synthetic SAPs in the absorbent core – the part of the pad that does the actual work. Inertia’s bet is that consumers are starting to ask what’s inside their products, not just what’s on the surface.
“In a category that has relied on the same internal materials for decades, we believed innovation had to begin at the core,” said Co-founder & CEO Hyoyi Kim.
Each Prism Pad combines an OCS-certified organic cotton topsheet, the bio-based LABOCELL core, and a sugarcane-derived backsheet – no plastic-based SAPs, chlorine, fragrance, or dyes. The pads carry USDA Certified Biobased Product status (82% biobased content) and Dermatest 5-Star certification for skin compatibility.
The company has meaningful traction in its home market: Over 10 million pads sold since launch, and the #1 feminine care product ranking at Olive Young, South Korea’s largest health and beauty retailer.
